When Kevin Nicks’ neighbours spotted him tinkering on the driveway, they assumed he was simply repairing his old car.

After a long career as a mechanic and a gardener, it was not unusual to see the 51-year-old fixing things in his spare time.

But Mr Nicks, who lives in a small village just two miles from the Oxfordshire town of Chipping Norton where former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson owns a home, had rather more ambitious plans.

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Pride and joy: Mechanic Kevin Nicks poses outside his drivable shed, which was once a Volkswagen Passat

What the father-of-one had in fact set about working on was a seven-month, £5,000 project to convert his 16-year-old Volkswagen Passat into a unique, record-breaking vehicle – the world’s fastest shed.

On completion, the two-tonne, steel-framed drivable shed, complete with remote central locking, air conditioning, a stereo and leather seats, weighed up to two tonnes.

So it was to onlookers’ astonishment that the vehicle was capable of a reaching speed of up to 70.8mph at a world record attempt on a private airfield near York – breaking that previously set at 58.4mph by TV mechanic Edd China in Milan in 2011.

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Not only was the shed breaking records, however, but it was to be the gardener’s new business venture – a unique and eye-catching mobile billboard perfect for hiring and advertising.

Within weeks, Mr Nicks had more than 20 companies call up to express an interest in advertising on the side of the world’s fastest shed.

‘It makes people smile,’ he said. ‘People are constantly taking pictures of it and uploading them to social media. What could be better advertising than that?

‘I can say ‘advertise on the side of the world’s fastest shed’.

The renovated vehicle, newly taxed, MOT-d and insured, would need to undergo a six-hour Individual Vehicle Assessment before it was road legal.

But the test, arranged through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, was not going to be breaking any records for speed.

Coming up against red tape, and frustrated that the wait was stalling his business over the winter period, Mr Nicks decided to take the matter to his local MP, Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Nicks, pictured driving his shed, has become frustrated by the red tape holding up a DVSA assessment

‘I contacted the DVSA and I was straight up against a stone wall,’ said Mr Nicks. ‘They were keeping me off the road and throwing hurdles in the way. I actually built it as an advertising tool so they destroyed the business - they absolutely killed it dead.’

In an email to Mr Cameron, he asked for something to be done to speed up the process.

Three days later, Mr Nicks received a hand-signed letter in the post.

‘Dear Mr Nicks,’ the Prime Minister wrote. ‘Thank you for writing to me about your drivable shed. It sounds like an interesting feat to convert your car into a shed, a project which I am sure took a lot of time and effort.’

David Cameron wrote to the head of the DVLA on Mr Nicks' behalf after being impressed by his drivable shed, which he called an 'interesting feat'

The letter went on: ‘Regarding licensing the vehicle, I have written to Oliver Morley, Chief executive of the DVLA, on your behalf, asking him for any help or advice that he is able to offer. Let’s see what he says.’

A four and a half month battle ensued before Mr Nicks was finally able to take his test in Feburary this year.

‘It’s not acceptable,’ he said. ‘All I did was build a body kit for the car. I should have taken the test within a month. It took me four and a half months. If the Prime Minister can reply that quickly why can’t anyone? By now I would have had my next vehicle built.’

Finally able to drive his shed to the supermarket, Mr Nicks said he enjoys watching the smile the ‘bonkers’ vehicle brings to people’s faces.

‘It’s just brilliant,’ he said. ‘I’m so proud to be the builder of it.

'When you pull up to the traffic lights it makes people smile because it just looks so wrong.’

His longest outing so far was a 200-mile trip to York, where the shed received its fair amount of attention on the motorway.

Now Mr Nicks plans to build other ‘crazy cars’ in the future, but is keeping his lips tightly sealed as to his ideas.

‘It’s about being different,’ he said. ‘It’s kind of a mickey-take of the system - just because I can.

‘Since building it I found lots of people do crazy things to cars. I’ve got lots more ideas for equally weird vehicles. It’s just down to funding now.’